The Mirror of Galadriel
by Mika Saigo
Summary: The power to see past, present, and future... Perhaps the path of the One Ring wasn't all the mirror saw...
1. The Mirror of Galadriel, OnePrologue

The Mirror of Galadriel by Mika and Mito Saigo.

disclaimer: characters from "Lord of the Rings" are property of Tolkien etc... Some original characters property of Mika and Mito. Please excuse our artistic license with the story and few changes in the historic timeline. Hope you enjoy the story. 

Chapter One

Under the sparkling trees of Lothlorien, a soft wind blew through the empty halls of the forest palace. The view of the skies at night were enough to take one's breath away and all were sleeping soundly in their soft elven beds. All, except for one.

Samwise Gamgee tossed fitfully. How could anyone sleep when so much was wrong with the world? He'd already awoken once in the night to see horrific images in Galadriel's silvery mirror, now it seemed nothing would soothe his wandering mind. Something about that mirror haunted him. It was chilling to think of all the possible futures for middle earth. None of them seemed to have the usual happy ending he'd always heard stories like this were supposed to have. 

Sam pulled himself from the cozy bed and shook off the fluffy sheets. Without consciously thinking about it, he soon found himself standing once again before Galadriel's mirror. 

There was no one there this time. No one to warn him not to look or not to touch. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he peered over the pedestal and into the still waters. At the edge of his mind he could faintly hear someone pleading with him to stop. Not to go any further. But he couldn't help himself. His right hand reached slowly toward the rim of the mirror, and he could feel a tingling sensation running through his arm. His fingers brushed the water, which was cool to the touch. 

Ripples ran through the water in pulses, almost like it was coming to life and Samwise could do nothing but watch, entranced by the mirror's spell. A flash of light seared across the bottom of the mirror, leaving what looked like writing engraved upon it. Sam was shocked to see it was written in common tongue, not the sleek, curvaceous elven script:

_Sam Gamgee_

_One touch of the mirror of desire,  
One future doomed to trial by fire.  
The years roll by with beauty and grace,  
Until the new shall take their place.  
A prince shall fight for more than pride,  
A maiden's strength and faith are tried.  
One soul holds the mirror's light,  
While one's heart finds the will to fight._

Sam fell backward, stumbling in the dirt. What was all that?! He regained his senses enough to not want to be around when someone found out he'd fiddled with that darn cursed mirror. With only a quick, worried, backward glance, he ran off into the night once again, not bothering to look for the voice he'd heard only moments earlier. 

As the elven queen Galadriel watched the clumsy hobbit leave, she smiled knowingly. Yes, there would be great trials for this fellowship, but maybe that wasn't the end of their tale...  



	2. The Mirror of Galadriel, Chapter Two

The Mirror of Galadriel  
Chapter Two - 

Time has aged the land as well as it's people. Over a century has passed since the legendary journey of Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring. The One Ring has long since been destroyed and the members of the fellowship have traveled their separate ways.

Frodo Baggins returned to the shire, though the trauma of handling the dangerous ring left him forever scarred. He once again left the safety of the shire on a journey to Grey Haven, to reside with the other ring bearers, Galadriel, Gandalf, and Bilbo. 

Merry and Pippin took up residence in a small home on the edge of the shire. They found wives and began their own small families, telling their children bedtime stories of the many adventures outside the shire. They passed away several years later, having lived long, full, and adventurous lives.

Samwise Gamgee had long forgotten the events surrounding Galadriel's mirror. After suffering the trials of their long quest it seemed a small, insignificant thing. He came back to the shire tired and worn from the journey and began a family of his own.

Aragorn Elessar married his fair elven lady Arwen and became king of Rohan. He ruled as a just and fair man and sired a son, Eldarion. His good friend Legolas stayed at his side until the end of his rule, in the shire reckoning year of 1541, when he passed his way and the kingdom was given to his Eldarion. Arwen grieved deeply for her husband and left her son to rule. She traveled to Lorien where her life also came to an end. Legolas Greenleaf, quite aggrieved by the deaths of such close friends, took to the west with Gimli, son of Gloin. He caught his first breath of sea air and longed to ride it's perilous waves. He sailed across the great seas to the undying lands, his dwarven friend at his side.

Our tale opens anew, time has passed and many of our old friends are no longer with us. A sad song resonates through the hills of the undying lands. A place so beautiful mortal men would weep to see it. It has long since been removed from the grasp of mortals, and only those with everlasting youth and beauty may reach it. 

It is a haven to lost souls, a place of sanctuary, and yet, death has visited this holy land. Long ago, it was believed by mortals that the undying lands would grant any who sought it eternal life. But Legolas Greenleaf knew better. Only those who were already deathless could live forever in the undying lands. He sought out a deep dark cave for his long-time friend, Gimli, son of Gloin. 

Legolas gently lay the body of his friend deep in the catacombs. It was a hard thing, this gift of eternal life. To be able to live so long, but have to endure the deaths of dear friends who had not been given the same gift. He finished his song of mourning and walked stoically from the cave. There was nought left for him to do anymore it seemed. His friends were all but gone and the only true joy in his heart anymore was the joy of being on the open seas. 

His grey ship was ready and waiting for him to set sail. Without a second thought he stepped aboard the vessel and unfurled the small sails. The softly blowing winds caught them and began to carry him once again, through the perilous seas. He set the rudder and felt a great tiredness settle over him. When he'd sailed before, Gimli had always been there if he needed to rest, and in turn, he was there to keep watch when the dwarf had needed sleep. He let out a sigh and leaned against the side of the ship, his eyes closed slowly and he felt sleep creeping in to take him.

He awoke later, not sure if he'd slept for hours, or days. He shook the last of sleep from his eyes and wiped the drops of rain that had fallen across his brow. He looked to the sky. It had darkened considerably in the time he'd been asleep and he cursed his luck. This storm would be difficult to navigate. He still had to be nearly a week from land, didn't he? Clouds plagued the sky and he hadn't thought to bring a compass. On the edge of his elven sight, he could barely make out land. It must be the undying lands, he thought to himself. I must have got turned around as I slept. I suppose it'd be best to head back for now.

The wind was starting to whip wildly at his tiny ship and he struggled for control. It made him feel alive again, fighting against the vicious storm and his heart took courage. The waves were rising higher and higher and it was all he could do to keep his ship from going under. He held sails taught, but he could feel the strong fabric starting to tear under the strain. A gust blew again and he heard as much as saw the sail rend itself from the ropes which held it. It was only moments later another great wave came crashing down on him, this time, taking him down to the sea with it.

He was in the water now, struggling for breath as the waves beat upon him. He fought to keep his head above the swirling waters. The land was closer now, probably only a few miles. He'd never had to swim that far before, but perhaps he could make it. He swung his arms through the water with all his strength, but he could feel it waning. He couldn't see an end to the storm and suddenly, an undercurrent pulled him down. It was dark and he couldn't tell which way the surface was. He needed air. Darkness was inching it's way into the borders of his vision. _Not like this..._ He thought. _I can't die like this..._

Consciousness hit him like a cave troll. He rolled over and sat up, coughing on sea water. He felt terrible, but at least he was alive. His eyes flicked quickly at his surroundings. The storm was raging further away, but it seemed it had passed by already. Just when he thought he might try standing, a hearty clap on the back sent him into another fit of coughing.

"That's right lad, cough out that nasty stuff. Yeh're just lucky we passed by. My son here thought yeh mighta ben one of those merfolk, with that long hair o' yers, but I guess he was wrong!" the man laughed heartily as Legolas struggled to focus his eyes. The man looked to be somewhat middle aged, but then, he'd never been good at guessing the age of humans. He wore simple clothes and Legolas guessed he must be some sort of fisherman. The son he'd spoken of stood a little way off, and couldn't have been more than twelve or thirteen. He had the wide eyes of a child and backed up a step when Legolas set his eyes on him.

As soon as he caught a breath, Legolas spoke and barely recognized the voice as his own, "I thank you sir, I owe you my life."

The large, somewhat brawny man laughed again, "think nothin' of it lad. I just wonder how you got the fool idea in yer head to sail out of the Bay of Balfalas in this kinda weather!"

"Balfalas?" Legolas queried. "We're in Balfalas?"

The man nodded and asked his son to fetch some blankets and a cup of hot stew. "Yep, we're headed for Gondor, jus' north o' here. Got quite a haul today. Where yeh headed stranger?"

The elf was dumbstruck for a moment. He's only left the undying lands this morning, hadn't he? He had a strange feeling that something had wanted him to be here. Always one to trust his instincts, he nodded slowly, "y-yes. Gondor," he managed as he gratefully took the cup of soup and blankets.

"Great! We'll drop yeh off there then lad! Must be yer lucky day!"


	3. The Mirror of Galadriel, Chapter Three

The Mirror of Galadriel 

ack, sorry about that people, there was a little error, thanks for catching it. I get some things mixed up easily. anyway, please enjoy. We've tried hard to research this fic well and keep as close to the original storyline as possible. thanks for reading!

Chapter Three 

When Nariel was lost in thought, she had a habit of chewing her fingernails. A nasty habit, her mother would always be quick to point out, and whenever she caught herself doing it, she would quickly throw her hands into the soft pockets of her elven dress. She frowned, realizing she'd done it again and rubbed her temples. She'd been doing it more and more recently. She supposed it was because time seemed to be moving so much slower lately. 

Nariel had proudly served the Lady Arwen as one of her handmaids and though perhaps Lady Arwen wouldn't have agreed, she had considered herself to be a friend. She had held Arwen in the highest esteem and had always aspired to be like her. Now that both Lady Arwen and King Elessor had passed on, things were... difficult. She missed that soft smile her Queen had always worn, and the natural grace and great presence she'd carried. Elessor's sons and daughters were doing a fine job of running the kingdom of Gondor, but that was a small comfort to her. Without Arwen, she'd been left to take care of the many daughters she'd left behind. They were growing into fine young women and with half elven blood running through their veins, they would no doubt keep their great beauty for many years to come.

Nariel herself was rather plain as elves were concerned, though human and elven standards of beauty could be vastly different. Nearly all elves had that same delicate bone structure and porcelain features. She was still young for an elf, only a few centuries old. Nariel shoved her hands into her pockets and hurried down yet another hallway of the castle of Gondor. She carefully sidestepped the many people always rushing here and there, doing this and that, and always, Always in a hurry. 

Nariel threaded her way through them all to the rooms that belonged to Eldarion's sisters. She'd woken up later than usual and was the last of the handmaids to arrive. She was far from being the head maid, but that didn't really matter to her. She smiled lethargically at one of the girls and sat behind her, combing her hair. All she had really wanted was to marry, have a family, that sort of thing. But she in the middle of many other sisters in her own family. Her eldest sisters had all been married off to elves of higher blood. Her family seemed to have achieved all it could through marraige and were reluctant to try to find yet another suitable husband for yet another daughter. They'd sent her off to Rivendell, to be one of the many servants under the great king Elrond. 

Nariel's fingers weaved through the young girl's hair, twisting in a few flowers that had recently bloomed as well as other greenery. When she'd finished, she handed the girl a mirror. The young face smiled pleasantly back at her. "Thank you Nariel. Fetch me my dress too won't you? The blue one. I think it matches my eyes rather nicely."

Nariel nodded and hurried to the smaller chamber that was the girl's closet. She selected the dress from one of many silk laden, frilly affairs and carefully tied the girl into it. The young woman smiled her approval and ran off to meet with her sisters who had already begun their daily routine of gossiping, laughing, and throwing a casual wink at any unsuspecting male in their vicinity. She shook her head and hurried on to help with her share of the duties in the kitchens.

Hours later Nariel finally reached her small private chambers and stretched her arms high above her head. She began to pull her workdress over her head, but was startled by sudden loud noises coming from just outside her room. She felt a lump coming from her throat as the loud noises changed to horrific smashing and screams of terror and pain. She leaned closer to her door and opened it the smallest crack. She was thrown backward as a huge figure hammered down her door and blocked her exit. A large, foul, and very smelly orc was standing only feet from her. He was carrying what looked to be a very heavy chunk of wood, no doubt used as a club. Blood dotted and stained it in random patterns. Nariel felt behind her for something, anything she could use to fight back. The orc was moving in closer and she could smell it's putrid breath.

"What's a matter precious? You wouldn't be scared now would ya?" he smiled, revealing rows of yellowed and missing teeth.

Nariel screamed, closed her eyes, and threw whatever it was her fingers had finally found. A large chunk of what had been her door bounced harmlessly off the orc's chest. He let out a laugh and Nariel found another broken shard of wood. This time, she thought; she wouldn't miss. She doubted she'd be given another chance at this. She hurled herself at the orc and slammed the shard into his shin. Caught off guard by what had seemed to be a helpless elf maiden, the orc howled in pain and lost his balance. Nariel took the opportunity to leap out the now clear doorway and out into the hall.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire. The annoying cliche' entered her mind as she watched many more orcs, all smashing and destroying everything in their paths. It was totally hopeless! She couldn't possibly get past this many orcs!

"They've taken that sniveling half elven king!"

A roar of triumph went up among the half naked orcs and weapons were raised to the air. Fear pumped through Nariel as a few of the orcs took notice of her. She screamed again and ran, looking for an exit, any escape! There were windows every few yards, but they were several stories above ground! There was a moat, but surely the fall itself would kill her, wouldn't it? Nariel skidded to a halt as more orcs were approaching from the other end of the hall. The others were catching up as well. She felt something large and blunt slam into her side. The window nearest her shattered as she nearly went through it. She clung to the stone desperately, but she could see there was no chance. As one of the orcs leaned in, prying her fingers from the window and giving her a final push, he whispered in a nasty, rasping voice, "Death to all Elvenkind..."


	4. The Mirror of Galadriel, Chapter Four

The Mirror of Galadriel - Chapter Four

"SAMANTHA GAMGEE!! Get in here right NOW!" 

"um... I can explain!" Sam looked at the ground and fidgeted under the scrutiny of the older hobbit.

"Sam, really, you've got to outgrow these silly pranks. Your Father Samwise was such a respectable hobbit. Can't you follow his example even in the tiniest bit?" Lila Brockhouse was an intimidating woman, even for a hobbit. Her large stature contrasted sharply and completely overshadowing the slight frame of the youthful hobbit. Miss Brockhouse had been the hobbit's school teacher for as long as Sam could remember. Conversations like today's seemed commonplace between them.

"well Miss Brockhouse, t'wasn't more n' he deserved! The little lazy lob, callin' me all sorts of names with his mates there, jeerin' him on. I figured stealin' his clothes when they all went skinny dippin' was a suitable punishment, don't you?" Sam didn't look up, but a smile crossed her face. "Quite a sight, wasn't it though? Bungo Danderfluff and his friends, sneakin' back home without a stitch on 'em!"

Lila Brockhouse's mouth twitched, but she didn't smile, "Miss Gamgee, that was entirely inappropriate. It's ten swats with the paddle for an act like that and look at me when I'm talking to you, I-" she grabbed Sam by the shoulder and their eyes met. Lila had to take a step back. She felt as though those eyes would suck her in. Sam just smiled back at her, completely untroubled. Sam knew her eyes were strange, she'd always known that. It was just so fun to get a reaction out of people though. She took advantage of Miss Brocktree's surprise to make her escape. After a long moment of running barefoot through the hills of Hobbiton, Sam thought she heard Miss Brocktree yelling something like _"get back here this instant!"_

In just a few minutes, her feet had taken her to the outskirts of Hobbiton, a great place to relax and sleep under your favorite tree. Or plot more mischief, whichever came first. 

"Sam, what took you so long?" a hobbit close to her own age hastened over to meet her. He had messy light brown hair and always a goofy smile on his face.

"Miss Brocktree, as usual..." Sam frowned and sat in the thick carpet of grass.

"Again? Sam..." 

"Ah shut up Pimpernel, I've heard it already... 'Sam, why don't you act more like your father?' or 'Sam, when are you going to grow up and start acting like a decent young lady'..." Sam rolled her eyes and lay back, hands behind her head. She plucked a piece of grass and chewed it thoughtfully.

"Actually I was going to say, 'Why'd you get caught?'" Pimpernel snickered. "but when have you EVER acted like a decent young lady? What do they expect, a miracle?"

Sam smirked, "That's what **I** told 'em, you'd think they'd catch a hint."

Pimpernel shook his head and sat a few feet away. "So you still leaving today? There's the summer holiday starting in a few days, so we won't be having classes for a bit."

"yeah, my dad'll expect me. Been a while since I seen him last." Sammy stared up and the sky through the leafy shadows.

"Why doesn't he come back here? or why don't you go live with him?" 

"We've been over this Pimpernel. My Dad is a stickler for 'doing what's best.' He doesn't think Grey Havens is a good place for young hobbits to grow up. He'd rather his kids live here, at least get a bit of learnin' done... Let 'em decide for themselves where they want to live. And since my older brothers and sisters all still live here, at least I've got a place to stay. Rose, Frodo, Elanor and the rest... they're all decent enough." 

Pimpernel laughed, "I'll be sure to tell Miss Brocktree you'll miss her while you're gone too."

Sam chuckled, "you do that one and you'll be one dead hobbit when I get back."

* * * * *

"Dad, you in? I'm back!" Sam trudged in the door of her father's small, but cozy hobbit hole. She dropped her bag at the door and dropped into one of the soft, well-worn chairs nearby. The trek over to Grey Havens was one she didn't make often, since it was at least week's journey on foot, but she'd been lucky enough to catch a ride with a hay wagon and a merchant caravan.

"Ah Sammy, you're back already? I thought the summer holiday wasn't for a week yet." Samwise sauntered in. His age was starting to show and patches of grey dotted his dark blonde hair. He was followed quickly by his wife of many years, Rose Cotton.

"Samantha! Get over here and give your mother a hug this instant!" Rose smiled broadly at Sam and took her in her arms.


End file.
